Instead, the plugin generates an array of particles, then projects them in 3D space according to a displacement layer, with the lighter pixels in the layer generating greater displacement.

Users can control the results by adjusting the projection’s axis point and intensity, and setting particle size, spacing and colours. The displacement layer can also be used to drive size and colour.

As well as imported footage, it’s possible to use native After Effects systems like Turbulent Noise as a displacement source.

While the results are more restricted than more fully featured particle systems, Particle Projection looks capable of an interesting range of abstract and semi-organic effects, as shown in the demo above.

Pricing and system requirements
Particle Projection 1.0 is available for After Effects CS6+, running on 64-bit Windows 7+. It costs $69.99.